Due to the Corona Virus Pandemic, international travel has been restricted since 2020. This has negatively impacted families and businesses. In January of 2020, US travel bans were first imposed by then-President Donald Trump limited air travel from China in January 2020 and then extended to dozens of other countries, without any clear metrics for how and when to lift them.
On Mach 13, 2020, the travel ban on non-US citizens traveling from Europe went into effect. The Trump administration issued a travel ban on non-Americans who visited 26 European countries within 14 days of coming to the United States. People traveling from the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland were exempt. This meant that if you were traveling to the US from one of these countries, you would have to go to another country that was not facing a ban for at least 14 days before attempting to travel to the US.
On March 21, 2020, the U.S, Mexico, and Canada temporarily restricted non-essential travel across the US-Canada land borders. The Biden administration has announced that these restrictions will remain in effect until 11:59 p.m Eastern Time on October 21, 2021. Homeland Security said the administration was creating “consistent, stringent protocols for all foreign nationals traveling to the United States – Whether by air, land, or ferry.”
It is anticipated that on November 8, 20201, the Biden administration will lift the COVID-19 travel bans and instead require travelers to show proof of vaccination upon entry into the U.S. “The full reopening of international travel is also critical to reviving economies around the globe, reinvigorating communities and supporting millions of jobs in the U.S. and abroad,” Katherine Estep, the spokeswoman, said in a statement.
U.S. Travel Association Chief Executive Roger Dow said in a statement that «it is critically important for planning – for airlines, for travel-supported businesses, and for millions of travelers worldwide who will now advance plans to visit the United States once again.” In addition, “Reopening to international visitors will provide a jolt to the economy and accelerate the return of travel-related jobs that were lost due to travel restrictions.” These travel restrictions will be lifted for international air travel and land travel in two phases.
Phase 1:
Starting November 8, 2021, DHS will allow fully vaccinated non-essential travelers entry into the U.S via land and ferry ports of entry (POEs), while still allowing essential travel for unvaccinated individuals. Children under 18 are exempt from the requirements.
Phase 2:
By January, DHS will require all foreign travelers, whether essential or not, to be fully vaccinated. Unvaccinated visitors will still be banned from entering the United States.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) informed airlines that only vaccines that are approved or authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or listed for emergency use by World Health Organization (WHO) will be accepted for international travelers seeking to travel to the U.S. This is a great concern to immigrants in Latin American and Africans countries who may have taken a vaccine that is not on the accepted list.
Accepted FDA Authorized/ Approved Vaccines:
● Moderna
● Johnson & Johnson
● Pfizer-BioNTech
WHO’s Emergency Use Listing (EUL)
● Sinopharm vaccine (SARS-CoV-2)
Patricia Elizee is the managing partner of Elizee Law Firm, an immigration and family law firm located at 1110 brickell Avenue, suite 315, Miami, Florida 33131. She can be reach at Ph: 305-371-8846